Sign detection for crawl carry registers



July 31, 1956 c. v. HALL SIGN DETECTION FOR CRAWL CARRY REGISTERS Filed Feb. 18. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GEORGE V. HALL ATTORN EY G. V. HALL July 31, 1956 SIGN DETECTION FOR CRAWL CARRY REGISTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1953 b 8 AMI/f I m INVENTOR G EORGE V, HALL W f ATTORNEY United States Patent SIGN DETECTION FOR CRAWL CARRY REGISTERS George V. Hall, Orange, N. J., assignor to Monroe Calculating Machine Company, Orange, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application February 18, 1953, Serial No. 337,520

8 Claims. (Cl. 235-61) The invention relates to registers having tens transfer mechanism of the crawl type, and more particularly to means whereby change of the arithmetical sign of the register may be detected without the necessity of moving the register wheels to aligned or reading position.

It is well known in the art that a change in the arithmetical sign of a calculating machine register may be utilized to control certain of the machine operations. For example, a the performance of a division calculation by the well known subtract, and, shift method, the registering mechanism is cycled subtractively until the dividend is reduced to a negative value, and thereupon the subtractive registration is terminated. A plus corrective cycle of the registering mechanism is then instituted, after which the register carriage is shifted and the program continued.

Upon change of the sign in registers having jump" tens transfer mechanism, as distinguished from the crawl type, the tens transfer from lower to higher order wheels is extended toward the left as far as such transfer mechanism is provided. A signal upon change of the sign of the register, therefore, may be taken from the next higher order wheel to the left of the digital actuators upon passage of the wheel from 0 to 9 or from 9 to 0 by relatively simple sign detecting mechanism.

In registers having crawl tens transfer mechanism, the continuously engaged transfer gearing between the wheels and the continuously driven differential actuators adapts such registers for a higher speed of operation than is practical with intermittently driven registers of the jump transfer type. However, in crawl transfer registers, appreciable transfer movement is imparted only to the next higher order wheel from a lower order wheel and due to lost motion no appreciable movement, and even in some instances no movement at ali, is imparted to still higher order wheels. Therefore, should actuation of a lower order significant wheel be effective to change the sign of the register, a signal may be taken from the highest order wheel only if the wheels are moved to aligned or reading position.

In the use of adding, listing and bookkeeping machines having registers of the crawl transfer type, it is obviously desirable that the operator should know at all times whether a particular register is in a positive or negative condition and thus avoid the necessity of a total taking operation to determine such condition.

In view of the foregoing, the invention provides means adjustable by the numeral wheels, upon change of sign of a crawl tens transfer register, into position to transmit a signal impulse from a power source which is independent of the movement of the numeral wheels. This impulse so derived can be and is of an extent that definitely takes up all lost motion between the parts of the signal transmitting means and thereby minimizes or eliminates this problem which otherwise necessitates extreme precision manufacture whenever it is attempted to utilize numeral wheel movement to furnish the signal impulse.

The invention, however, will best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary left side elevation of a calculating machine embodying the invention with the carriage for the crawl tens transfer register in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the link adjustin cams;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, two adjacent numeral wheels;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken away, of the signal transmission linkage and the adjusting devices therefor; and,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the signal transmission links.

partly in section, of

T he signal transmitting devices The register comprises a series of ordinally arranged numeral wheels 1 (Figs. 1 and 3). Any well known type of crawl tens transfer mechanism may be interposed between the wheels. Such mechanism may be of the orbital type fully disclosed in Gardner Patent No. 1,828,180 and is designated generally by the reference numeral 2. Each of the register wheels has a control cam 3 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) fixed for rotation therewith and operable to adjust a movement receiving and transmitting device of the invention in accordance with values registered in the wheel as hereinafter described.

A signal transmitting linkage comprising an ordinal series of movement receiving and transmitting links 7 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) is longitudinally adjustable on slot and pin mounting 8 in the body of the machine just below the shiftable register carriage. Each link '7 is adapted to be coupled or uncoupled with the next lower order link by a pin 5 which is vertically adjustable in slots 7a '7b in the adjacent ends of the links. Slots 7a are open at their tops and slots 71) are closed. A pair of leaf springs 9 at opposite sides of the linkage urges each pin toward the top of its slots 7a-7b, and when a pin is at the top of the slots the link 7 which is to the left will be permitted movement toward the right with relation to the link 7 which is to the right of the pin as shown in Fig. 5. This movement will be permitted by passage of pin 5 from slot 7a to the right above a shoulder at the top of the slot. However, when a pin 5 engages both slots 7a and 7b, as shown by the four leftmost pins in Fig. 4, th two adjacent links 7 will be coupled and longitudinal movement of one link will be imparted to the other. Furthermore, when any one of pins 5 is at the bottom of its slots 7a7b, as shown by the fourth pin from the left in Fig. 4, its end will engage a tooth space of a common movement receiving and transmitting member comprising a comb 23 which is slidably mounted in the side frames of the machine to one side of links 7. Movement may or may not be transmitted to this pin, as hereinafter described. However, if movement is transmitted thereto comb 23 will be moved therewith to transmit the signal impulse to a signal receiving member comprising a trip lever 31 (Figs. 1 and 4) hereinafter described.

There is a pin 5 controlled by each cam 3 (Figs. 1 and 3) when its numeral wheel 1 is within the range of the digital actuating mechanism (not shown) which is in the body of the machine. in addition, for reasons hereinafter disclosed, there is another pin 5 controlled by cam 3 of the next higher order wheel to the left of the highest order wheel within range of the digital actuators. This wheel may be termed an overflow wheel in which no digital registration is effected but only the craw tens transfer from the next lower order wheel. The digital actuators may be of any well known construction such as the well-known reversible rotary type in which registration is effected continuously throughout a complete cycle of operation, the wheels being driven at speeds proportional to the digital values being registered.

Digital actuating mechanism of this type is fully disclosed in Patents No. 2,150,578, and No. 2,211,736. However, it will be obvious that the actuating mechanism may be non-reversible with means for reversing the direction of rotation of the numeral wheels such as, for example, disclosed in Patent No. 2,229,889.

Control of the signal transmitting devices The leftmost or highest order link 7, the end of which is shown displaced in Fig. 4, is urged toward the left by a leaf spring 10. The rightmost link 7 is restrained from movement toward the left by its slot and pin mounting 8. Therefore the linkage is normally held in extended position as shown in Fig. 4. The free end of the leftmost link 7 is engaged by one arm of a bell crank 11, the other arm of which has slot and pin connection with the right arm of a lever 12 (Figs. 1 and 4). Lever 12 is spring biased counterclockwise thereby engaging an anti-friction roller at its left end with a cam 56. This cam is driven at a one to one ratio in time with the digital actuators by a suitable gear train 15. A lobe of cam 56 is adapted to rock lever 12 clockwise near the end of each negative cycle of operation of the digital actuators. Thus crank 11 will be rocked clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4 and an impulse will be transmitted to the leftmost link 7 to move it toward the right. This movement may or may not be transmitted further toward the right to one or more lower order links 7 as hereinafter described. After transmission of the impulse, spring 10 and the spring of lever 12 will restore the parts.

Pins 5 are each engaged at opposite sides of the linkage by a pair of shoes 17 (Figs. 1 and 4). Each pair of shoes 17 is operated by a plunger 19 which is spring urged upwardly to engage its upper end with one of the cams 3 of a wheel 1. Plungers 19 are slidably mounted in a block 16 fixed in the carriage and, therefore, the shoes are shifted with the carriage and relative to pins 5. As the carriage is shifted a pair of shoes 17 is engaged with successive order pins 5 until shifted out of the range of the linkage. To prevent interference of the ends of shoes 17 with pins 5 in the shifting operations, the ends are curved upwardly. Therefore, the shoes will pass over pins 5 to adjust them in accordance with values in the numeral wheels as hereinafter described.

Control cams 3 (Figs. 2 and 4) each have what may be termed a positive control dwell 3a of least diameter, a zero control dwell 3b of intermediate diameter, and a negative control dwell 3c of greatest diameter. In Fig. 2 the digital value numerals on the cam indicate the portions of the cam edge which will engage the associated plunger 19 when those values are registered on the associated numeral Wheel. The Zero dwell extends from to approximately .3, the positive dwell from .5 to 5, and the negative dwell from 5.3 to 9.8 registration. Although the range of the dwells is not arbitrary, some latitude is permissible. Also, it will be obvious hereinafter that the positive and negative dwells could be interchanged by modifying the structure and operation of the signal transmitting devices.

When a plunger 19 of a pair of shoes 17 is engaged by the positive dwell 3a of the associated cam 3, shoes 17 wil be moved upwardly permitting the engaged pin to be moved upwardly to the top of its slots 7a7b by its leaf springs 9 to uncouple the two adjacent links 7 as shown in the two lowest orders in Fig. 4. When plunger 19 is engaged by the zero dwell 3b, pin 5 will be moved downwardly to couple the two adjacent links 7 but not far enough to engage a tooth space of comb 23 as shown by the highest order pin 5. When plunger 19 is engaged by the negative dwell 30, pin 5 will be moved further downward to maintain the coupling between links 7 and now engage a tooth space of comb 23 as shown by the fourth highest order pin 5. From a study of the range of the positive, negative and zero dwells of cams 3, it has been determined that at about 15 before the end of a negative cycle of registration, pins 5 of the signal transmission linkage will have been adjusted to the positions which will signify the conditions of the register wheels 1 at the end of the cycle. Therefore the lobe of cam 56 is positioned to engage the roller at the end of lever 12 at this time to rock the lever and thereby deliver the signal impulse.

It will be recalled that digital values are not registered in the overflow wheel, i. e., the next order wheel to the left of the digital actuating mechanism. It will be assumed that the highest order of the actuating mechanism operates in a positive direction to register a value no greater than 5 in the associated numeral wheel. The positive dwell 3a of the associated earn 3 will engage plunger 19 of the associated shoes 17 thereby permitting pin 5 engaged thereby to be moved upwardly by springs 9 to the top of its slots 7a7 b. The crawl tens transfer will move the overflow wheel to a maximum of .5. Therefore, either the zero or the positive dwell of cam 3 of the overflow wheel will engage its plunger 19. However, although the zero dwell of the cam may have moved the associated pin 5 to couple the two leftmost links 7, the pin will be disengaged from comb 23. The next lower order pin 5, as described, is at the top of its slots 7a-7b. Although the impulse is transmitted to this pin upon operation of cam 56, the pin will move idly above the shoulder to the right of slot 7a as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, no motion will be transmitted to the lower order pins 5 and regardless of their positional relation to comb 23 no impulse will be transmitted to the comb.

Now it will be assumed that the highest order of the digital actuators operates in a positive direction to register any value of from 6 to 9. The negative dwell 0f cam 3 will engage plunger 19 to move pin 5 to the bottom of slots 7a7b and into engagement with a tooth space of comb 23. The transfer, however, will have moved the overflow wheel to a registering position of from .6 to .9 and thus will have moved its cam 3 definitely into its positive controlling range. Therefore, no impulse will be transmitted to comb 23. It will be noted that a higher order wheel takes over the control from the next lower order wheel as the lower order wheel passes from a positive registration of 4 to a registration of 5. Upon registration of 5 it will be seen that the cam of the wheel is still within its positive controlling range wherein pin 5 is in uncoupling position. Therefore, there is considerable overlapping of the control of two adjacent wheels thereby providing a definite control regardless of lost motion in the transfer mechanism.

The operation of the signal transmitting devices will now be considered upon operation of the highest order digital actuator to register a negative value. Upon movement of the numeral wheel negatively to any value of from 9 to 6, the negative dwell of cam 3 will engage plunger 19. Therefore, pin 5 will be moved into en gagement with comb 23 to form a movement transmission train. The overflow wheel will be at from 9.9 to 9.6 registering position and its pin 5 in coupling position and, therefore, an impulse will be transmitted to comb 23 even though the crawl has been insuflicient to cause pin 5 of the overflow wheel to engage comb 23. If the highest order actuator operates negatively to move its wheel to the 5 position or beyond, the craw transfer will definitely move the overflow wheel to bring its cam into the negative controlling range and its pin, therefore, into engagement with comb 23. Therefore, an impulse will be transmitted to comb 23 though the next lower order pin 5 has been moved from engagement with the comb.

Should a successive series of the higher order wheels including the overflow wheel stand at 0 as indicated by the first three higher order cams 3 in Fig. 4, pins 5 of each amass? 5 order will be in coupling position but disengaged from comb 23. if the next lower order wheel passes negatively through as shown by the no) t lower order cam in Fig. 4, its pin will engage comb 23 to complete a movement transmission train and an impulse will be transmitted to the comb. If, however, the wheel contains a positive value, no impulse will be transmitted to the comb. It will be understood that the next higher order wheel at times takes over the control to either provide for the transmission of an impulse or to disable the transmission devices as described in connection with the overflow wheel.

Control of the division program The control of a program of division is herein disclosed to illustrate a practical application of the signal transmitting devices of the invention.

The partially illustrated calculating machine, including division control mechanism (Fig. l), operates substantially in accordance with the disclosure of Patent No. 2,531,207, issued on November 21, 1950 to Herman Gang as modified by the devices of the present invention. Only the parts of the mechanism which are correlatively operable with the devices of the invention are described and illustrated and those parts are herein given the same reference numerals as those applied to the equivalent parts in the patent. Reference is made to this patent for a complete disclosure of the calculating machine and its operation in connection with a program of division.

The product-dividend register of the above noted patent is provided with tens transfer mechanism of the jump type. 'Division is effected by the well known subtract, add, shift method in which the divisor set on the keyboard (Fig. 1) is subtracted once more than it is contained in the corresponding portion of the dividend registered in the product dividend register. A negative numeral wheel reading is therefore obtained and the tens transfer mechanism will successively move the register wheels from 0 to 9 as far toward the left as such transfer mechanism is provided. This transfer is utilized to trip the control devices to teiminate the subtractive operation, whereupon the actuating means is reversed for positive registration. Positive registration will be limited to a single cycle by a second transfer to trip the control devices. The excessive subtraction will therefore be corrected and the count corrected in wheels 18 of the multiplier-quotient register, thus leaving the correct quotient digit registered therein. The register carriage will thereupon be shifted one order to the left and subtractive actuation initiated, thereby resuming the sequence of operations.

in accordance with the present invention, a productdividend register comprisin the aforedescribed numeral wheels 1 of the crawl transfer type is substituted for the register of the aforenoted patent. Input gears of reversible rotary differential actuators in the base of the machine eff ct digital actuation to the numeral wheels through transmission trains comprising gears 41, 42, 43 and pinions M (Fig. 1) of the numeral wheels. As hereinbefore noted the actuating mechanism may be of any well known type in which the registering operations are effected throughout each complete cycle of operation at speeds varying in proportion to the digital values being registered.

Means for moving wheels 1 to aligned or reading position operates substantially in accordance with the disclosure of Patent No. 2,089,682, issued to George C. Chase on August 16, 1937. This is accomplished by movement of transmission gears 4-3 about shaft 45 as a enter to counteract the partial tens transfers. Each gear 43, except that of the lowest order wheel, is mounted on arm 46 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 45. Each arm 46 has at its free forward end a laterally extending lug adapted for engagement with a snail cam 47 attached to the next lower order wheel. During operation of the machine, the lugs of arms 46 are held upward a slight distance from the position shown in Fig. l,

as hereinafter described, to prevent interference with cams 47. At the end of an operation, arms 46 are spring moved downwardly until their lugs engage the cams of the next lower order wheels. Therefore, gears 43 will be moved around gears 42 imparting movement to pinions 44 to back out the partial tens transfers. Although not shown in the drawings of the present application, snail cams 47 are rotatably yieldable from normal position relative to numeral wheels 1 as disclosed in the above noted Patent No. 2,089,682. Such yieldable mounting means is essential, as is well known in the art, to prevent binds inherent in the mechanism during aligning operations to move the numeral wheels to reading position. The devices of the invention are disclosed as subject to such adjustment and timing as to transmit the signal impulses while the numeral wheels are in motion and without the necessity for provision of means to prevent binds in the mechanism. However, it will be apparent that if such means is provided, more latitude may be exercised in the adjustment and timing of the mechanism. Such yieldable mounting means on numeral wheels 1 as is provided for aligning snail cams 47 obviously lends itself to control cams 3 should such provision be indicated.

The impulse imparted to comb 23 upon passage of the register from positive to negative condition and vice verse. is utilized to trip the aforenoted lever 31 of the division control devices. The ends of comb 23 are slidably supported in the side frames respectively of the machine. The comb is urged toward the left (Fig. 4) by a leaf spring 23:: and a cam nose 231) at its left end, which is shown displaced in the drawing, overlies the left arm of trip lever 31. A lug at the rear of the comb engaging the side frame normally locates it with relation to pins 5.

Upon depression of the divide key (not shown) link 722 (Fig. 1) will be moved toward the front of the chine, and pin 722- on the link will engage and rock latch arm 725 counterclockwise to release crank 726. Crank 726 and an arm 732 are fast on a shaft ore and are biased in clockwise direction by a relatively strong spring. Therefore, upon release of crank '72s, the crank and arm 732 will be rocked clockwise and a link 733 attached to arm 732 will be moved toward the front of the machine. This movement of the parts will initiate subtractive operation of the driving means for the digital actuators and set various division controlling mechanisms, all as fully disclosed in the aforenoted Patent No. 2,531,207.

A link 730 pivotally attached at its lower end to one arm of crank 726 is adapted to enable and to disable shift control devices operable in connection with the division program. The upper end of link 730 has slot and pin connection (not shown) at its upper end with a lever 52 which is fulcrumed at 53 to the left side of the machine frame. The connection of link 73% and lever 52 is shown in the joint application #323,767 of applicant and Walter S. Oliwa. Link 736 is normally in raised position (Fig. 1) and holds lever 52 in counterclockwise position. A bail 54, extending the length of carriage 2-9, is engaged by the left arm of lever 52 in any shifted position of the carriage. Upon the aforedescribed clockwise movement of crank 725, link 730 will be moved downward thereby rocking lever 52 clockwise and hail S4 counterclockwise. Thus bail 54 will move the arms 46 upwardly a slight distance beyond the position shown in Fig. 1 and thereby move the register wheels 1 from aligned to crawl position.

During the cycle of operation when the dividend value in the numeral wheels has been reduced to a negative value, the impulse imparted by cam 56 just before the end of the cycle will also be imparted to comb 23 which will be moved thereby toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, the cam nose at the end of comb 23 will rock lever 31 counterclockwise to trip the stopping means as follows.

An arm 22 (Fig. 1) pivotally mounted at its lower end is reciprocally operated in time with the register actuators by a link 21. An arm 24 has common pivotal mounting with arm 22 and is spring urged against a stop to the position shown in Fig. 1. A pawl 25 which is spring biased counterclockwise is mounted on the upper end of arm 24 and is held in the clockwise position shown in Fig. l by the right end of lever 31 which is spring biased clockwise. Therefore, when lever 31 is rocked counterclockwise pawl 25 will be released and spring rocked counterclockwise. Therefore, as the actuators pass through full cycle position, a shoulder 27 of arm 22 will engage pawl 25, thereby moving arm 24 against a stop 29 as the actuators overrun beyond full cycle position. The movement of arm 24 against stop 29 will disconnect the actuator drive as described in Patent No. 2,531,207 and then will rebound in the reverse direction carrying arm 22 therewith to move the actuators reversely or in a positive direction. The actuator drive will then be reengaged for a positive corrective cycle of operation.

When the actuators overrun negatively beyond full cycle position in the above stopping operation, the lobe of cam 56 will be moved further clockwise from the full cycle position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 beyond the roller at the end of lever 12. Links 7, comb 23, and lever 31 will, therefore, be restored as lever 12 will have been released by cam 56. Thus, upon rebound of arm 24, lever 31 will engage pawl 25 to disconnect it from shoulder 27 of arm 22. Shoulder 27 of arm 22 will, therefore, be free to move beneath pawl 25 to permit the positive corrective cycle of the actuators. It will be recalled, with reference to Figures 1 and 4, that cam 56 operates to rock lever 12 just before the end of each negative cycle of operation. Therefore, just after the beginning of the positive corrective cycle, cam 56 will rock lever 12. At this time, the numeral wheels will have been rotated reversely from the negative overrun beyond full cycle position to substantially the same registering positions in which they were when the signal transmission devices were adjusted to transmit an impulse to lever 31 to terminate negative operation. Therefore, as cam 56 rocks lever 12 in the positive corrective cycle, the signal transmission devices will be adjusted to transmit the impulse to rock lever 31 thereby releasing pawl 25. However, before the release of pawl 25 by lever 31, the registering mechanism will have moved in the positive cycle of operation a distance sufficient to move shoulder 27 of rock arm 22 clockwise from the position of Figures 1 and 4 beneath the raised left end of pawl 25. The positive corrective cycle will therefore be completed, and as the parts pass through full cycle position at the end of the cycle, pawl 25 will be effective to engage shoulder 27 to cause operation of the stopping means. Upon operation of the stopping means, the carriage will be shifted and the division program will be resumed as disclosed in the aforenoted patent.

The control of the division program is only illustrative of an obvious use of the invention. Other uses of the invention where it is desired to detect the condition of a crawl tens transfer register will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, in adding, listing and bookkeeping machines having crawl tens transfer registers, such as disclosed in Patent No. 1,946,572, there is a time at the end of each registering cycle of the machine during which the register wheels are stationary. A mechanical impulse such as delivered by cam 56 could be delivered to the signal transmitting devices by such means during the time in the cycle of the machine during which the register wheels are stationary. The impulse if transmitted to signal receiving means could be utilized in a number of obvious ways, e. g., to stop the machine or to operate an indicating device such as a light, etc. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific application herein described, but is to be restricted only as necessitated by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, and crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position enabled with respect to the next lower order device, and to a second position enabled with respect to said common member; the highest order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and each successive lower order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and the higher order devices when adjusted in their first enabled positions, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to one end of said transmission trains, signal receiving means positioned at the other end of said trains for receiving movement therefrom, and a member having control portions each corresponding to a given range of the numeral wheel registering positions for controlling adjustment of each device to its respective positions and positioned with the associated wheel to bring the control portion thereof corresponding to the registering position of said wheel into controlling position.

2. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, and crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position operable to transmit a mechanical impulse to the next lower order device, and to a second position operable to transmit a mechanical impulse to said common member, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to the highest order device, signal receiving means positioned to receive movement from said common member, and a member having control portions each corresponding to a given range of the numeral wheel registering positions for controlling adjustment of each device to its respective positions and positioned with the associated wheel to bring the control portion thereof corresponding to the registering position of said wheel into controlling position.

3. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels, and cyclically operable actuating means for said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receivirn and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position. to a first position enabled with respect to the neXt lower order device, and to a second position enabled with respect to said common member; the highest order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and each successive lower order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and the higher order devices when adjusted in their first enabled positions, means operable in timed relation with said actuating means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to one end of said transmission trains, signal receiving means positioned at the other end of said trains for receiving movement therefrom, and a member having control portions each corresponding to a given range of the numeral wheel registering positions for controlling adjustment of each device to its respective positions and positioned with the associated wheel to bring the control portion thereof corresponding to the registering position of said wheel into controlling position.

4. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, and crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position enabled with respect to the next lower order device, and to a second position enabled with respect to said common member; the highest order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and each successive lower order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and the higher order devices when adjusted in their first enabled positions, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to one end of said transmission trains, signal receiving means positioned at the other end of said trains for receiving movement therefrom, and a member for controlling adjustment of each device and operable upon movement of the associated wheel in a given direction to substantially zero registering position to adjust said device from said disabled to said first enabled position, and upon movement of said Wheel in said given direction beyond zero registering position to adjust said device to said second enabled position.

5. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, and crawl tens transfer mecha nism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position operable to transmit a mechanical impulse to the next lower order device, and to a second position operable to transmit a mechanical impulse to said common member, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to the highest order device, signal receiving means positioned to receive movement from said common member, and a member for controlling adjustment of each device and operable upon movement of the associated wheel in a given direction to substantially zero registering position to adjust said device from said disabled to said first enabled position, and upon movement of said wheel in said given direction beyond zero registering position to adjust said device to said second enabled position.

6. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral Wheels, and crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting link associated with each of said wheels, a coupling for each of said links adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position operable to couple said link with the next lower order link, and to a second position operable to couple said link with said common member; the highest order link when coupled with said common member forming a. movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and each successive lower order link when coupled with said common member forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and the higher order links when coupled respectively with the next lower order links, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to one end of said transmission trains, signal receiving means positioned at the other end of said trains for receiving movement therefrom, and a member having control portions each corresponding to a given range of the numeral wheel registering positions for controlling adjustment of each coupling to its respective positions and positioned with the associated wheel to bring the control portion thereof corresponding to the registering position of said wheel into controlling position.

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein each higher order link has a slot at one end adjacent an end of the next lower order link, said lower order link has an open end slot in said end adjacent said slot in said higher order link, the coupling comprises a pin adjustable in the first said slot to engage and to disengage said open end slot thereby respectively coupling and uncoupling said links, and said common movement receiving and transmitting member comprises a slide having a series of openings therein adapted to be engaged and disengaged respectively by said pins.

8. The combination with a register including an ordinal series of numeral wheels, and crawl tens transfer mechanism between said wheels; of sign detection means comprising a common movement receiving and transmitting member, a movement receiving and transmitting device associated with each of said wheels and adjustable to a disabled position, to a first position enabled with respect to the next lower order device, and to a second position enabled with respect to said common member; the highest order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and each successive lower order device when adjusted in said second enabled position forming a movement transmission train conjointly with said common member and the higher order devices when adjusted in their first enabled positions, means for generating a mechanical impulse independently of the movement of said wheels and for delivering said impulse to one end of said transmission trains, signal receiving means positioned at the other end of said trains for receiving movement therefrom, and a cam having a zero control dwell corresponding to a given range of the numeral wheel registering positions between 1 and 9 for controlling adjustment of each device to its first enabled position, a plus control dwell corresponding to a given range in an additive direction from said zero range for controlling adjustment of said device to its disabled position, and a minus control dwell corresponding to a given range in a subtractive direction from said zero range for controlling adjustment of said device to its second enabled position and positioned with the associated wheel to bring the control dwell thereof corresponding to the registering position of said wheel into controlling position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,106,273 Fleming Jan. 25, 1938 2,339,616 Chase Jan. 18, 1944 2,553,884 Toorell May 22, 1951 

